Airship with structural compensating surfaces



Jan. 18,1927. ,5 9

K.ARNSTBN AIRSHIP WITH STRUCTURAL COMPENSATING SURFACES Filed May 22, 1922 2 sheets-Sheet 1 INvEN QR 1 Jan. 18, 1927. ARNSTEIN 14,519

AIRSHIP WITH STRUCTURAL COMPENSATING SURFACES Filed May 22. 1922 2 Shuts-Shut a INVENTOR Patented Jan. 18,1927.

UNITED STATES 1,614,519 -PATENT o1=1=1c KARL ARNSTEDT, OF FRIEDBICHSEAFEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM: LUFT- semis-nan znrrmm ensnnnsomrr m'rr BIGHSH AI'EN, GEBIANY.

AIBSHIP WITH STRUCTURAL COMPENSATING SURFACES.

Application filed Kay 22, 1922, Serial No. 562,705, and in Geimany December 24, 1921.

.My invention relates .to airships of the rigid type and it more particularly concerns the construction of the hull or body of airships of this type.

In modern airship design, in order to reduce the air resistance, the wire-braced compensating surfaces arranged at the stern of the ship have been replaced in most instances by self-supportmg surfaces whose weight 'is however considerable. On the other hand, these self-supporting surfaces lack the rigid connection vwith the hull or body which is necessary for the distribution of the forces acting on the stern of the ship on landing with the stern first, the landing shock being taken up by the bottom compensating surface. On the other hand, when landing with the bow first, the forces acting on the bow ring, when anchoring, must also be transmitted onto the hull as a whole and down to the stern portion therein the manner referred to by continuing the n as bottom compensating surface or keel a longitudinally extending frame work structure in the interlor of the ships hull and upon the bottom thereof as far as the bow anchor ring.

A particularly favorable structure is obtained, in accordance with my invention, if the bottom portion of the framework forming the hull is designed to project in downward direction, inasmuch as by means of this construction this bottom portion which can also be utilized for .the mounting of the gangway, can be connected in a particularly convenient manner with the bottom keel fin.

In the drawings aflixed to this specification and forming part thereof I have illustrated my inventionas being embodied in two constructional modifications of an airship.

In the drawings: I

Fi ure- 1' is a side view-of an air ship in which, for the sake of clearness of illustration the bottom portion of the envelope is assumed to be transparent so as to show the longitudinally extending frame work designed in accordance with this invention.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are cross sectionson the lines 2-2, 3-3 and i -4 of Figure 1 respectively, drawn to an enlarged scale. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate, on a still more enlarged scale two forms of the bottom portion of.

the 111111.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing 1 is the hull or body and 2 is the-bottom keel fin having the form of an open frame work. According to the present invention, now, this bottom keel fin merely forms the stern portion of an open frame work forming an integral part of and extending longitudinally of the hull structure of the ship down to the bow anchoring point 4. The bottom keel fin is preferably provided with a buffer 5.

Several forms of the longitudinal open frame work are illustrated in cross section in Figs. 3-6 of the drawing.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 5, 6, 6 are two short girders replacing the horizontal bottom girder of one of the polygonal annular frames constituting the transverse bracing members of the hull structure,'and 10, 1 0 are'some of the longitudinal beams interconnecting these transverse members. According to the present invention the-two girders 6 of each annular member form part of an open frame work constituted by two struts 3, 3, a horizontal beam 17 and longitudinal beams 9 and 18 extending in parallel with and above the bottom beam. Lateral struts 12, 12 extend from the top beams 9, 9v to the outer ends of the, adjoining girders 16, 16, their lower ends resting on the longitudinal beams'lO, 10. A pair of diagonal struts 19, 19 serves to brace the top beams 9, 9 against the bottom beam 15. As explained before, bottom girdes 6, 6 and top beams 17 together with the struts 3 and 19 form part of each annular transverse bracing member of the hull structure, and. together with the longitudinal beams 9, 15 and 18 form an open frame work extending from how to stern and merging at the stern into tfahe bottom wkeel fin or compensating surace, 2.

BESCHBKNK'IEB HAFTUNG, 0F .FRIED- This open frame work forms the back-bone ofth'e hull structure, taking up fin or the bow anchoring point is subject to heavy stress.

In the form shown in Fig. 6 the bottom girder 16 extending horizontally as usual and traversed by the longitudinal bottom beam 10 has fixed to it a longitudinally extending member 8 projecting below the beam and which serves for keeping the envelope 7 out of contact with the horizontal bottom girder.

As shown in Fig. 4, the upper corners of the longitudinal open frame work, which coincide with the points of.intersection of the longitudinal top beams 9, 9, are connected with and braced against the other corners of the transverse annular frames by Wires or cables 11, thereby strengthening these frames as well as the longitudinal frame work.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim 1. A rigid airship of the Zeppelin type comprising a hull; and a reinforcin structure in the lower portion of said hu 1'; said structure extending longitudinally of said airship; the rear end of said structure projecting outwardly from said. hull and forming a vertical lower fin; the remaining portion of said structure substantially merging into. said hull and extending unto its bow.

2. A rigid airship of the Zeppelin type comprising a hull; a vertical fin structure at the rear end of said hull; a reinforcing structure substantially inside of the lower portion of said hull and extending substantially from the bow of said hull to the forward end of said fin structure; and a connecting structure, said connecting structure at its rear end merging into said finstructure and at its forwar end merging into said reinforcing structure.

3. A rigid airship of the Zeppelin type comprisinga hull; said hull comprising an outer circumferential frame wor a reinforcing structure based on said circumferential frame work and projecting inwardly into said hull; a second structure based on said circumferential frame work andprojectmg outwardly from said hull said second structure being situated near the stern and forming a fin of said airship; saidfirst structure extending from the bow of said airship to the forward end of said fin; both said structures merging into one another by means of an intermediate connecting structure portion.

- 4. A rigid airship of the Zeppelin 'type comprising a hull; said hullcomprising' an outer circumferential frame work made u of olvgonal cross members and of longitudinals connecting said cross members; a reinforcing inner structure based. on said post ruts, the inner two joints of said struts again being connected with one another by'a 'such' bracing member and fifth strut, said struts in longitudinal dircction of said hull being again connected with each other b longitudinal frame works.

5. A rigid airship of the Zeppelin type comprising a hull; said hull comprising an outer circumferential frame work made up of polygonal cross members and of longitudinals connecting said cross members; a reinforcing inner structure based on said polygonal cross members and projecting inwardly from said circumferential framework; said structure within every one of said cross members comprising four struts, each of said struts extending inwardly from a corner point of said polygon and at its free end being connected to a second one of said struts, the inner two joints of said struts again being connected with one another by a fifth strut, said struts in longitudinal direction of said hull being again connected with each other by longitudinal frame works; and a second structure based on said circumferential frame work and projecting outwardly from-said hull; said second structure bein situated near the stern and forming a fin 0 said airship; said first structure extending from the bow of said airship to the forward end of said fin; both said structures mer ing into one another by means of an interme iate connecting structure portion.

.6. Hull structure for airships oftherigid .t'ype comprising a plurality of endwise connected girders constituting transverse annular frames or bracing members having the form of substantially} regularpolygons, two shorter beams replacing the bottom beam of such bracing member and rojectin outwards from the olygon, su stantial y vertical struts erected on the outer ends of said shorter beams and means for connecting the upper ends of such struts. p

7 Hull structure for airshi s of the rigid type comprising a plurality o endwise connected girders constituting transverse annular frames orbracing members having the formof substantially regular polygons, two shorter beams replacing the bottom beam of such bracing member and rojectin outwards from the polygon, su stantialgr vertical struts erected on the outer ends of said shorter beams, an upper horizontal beam connecting the upper ends of said struts. and means for bracin said struts and said upper beam against sai shorter beams.

- 8. Hull structure for airships of the rigid type comprising a plurality of endwise connected girders constituting transverse annular frames or bracing members having the form of substantially regular polygons, two shorte'r beams replacing the bottom beam of projecting outwards from the polygon, su stantially verticalstruts erected on the outer end of said shorter beams and means, for bracing the upper ends of said struts against said shorter Ill)" beams and the normal beams adjoining them. 9. Hull structure for airships of the rigid type comprising a plurality of endwise connected girders constituting transverse annular frames or bracing members having the form of substantially regular polygons, substantially vertical struts erected on the outer ends of the bottom girder, means for bracin the upper ends of said struts against each 10 other and against the outer ends of the and joining girders, longitudinal beams connectlng corresponding structural oints of said members, a longltudinal mem r extending longitudinally of and below the middle of the bottom girders of said bracing members and an envelope enclosing said bracing members and kept out of contact with the bottom girders by said longitudinal girder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

KARL ARNSTEIN. 

